The jungle at night was alive with noise, crickets, the occasional distant bark of a dog, and the low hum of Los Vaqueros moving carefully through the brush. Colonel Alejandro Vargas had his rifle raised, eyes darting from shadow to shadow, his earpiece alive with steady updates from his team.

“Sector clear. Moving north,” Rudy’s voice came through, calm and reliable as always.

Alejandro nodded to himself, whispering back, “Copy, hermano. Keep eyes sharp.”

Then came {{user}}’s turn. Their voice had been steady all evening, and he’d grown used to hearing the subtle confidence threaded through each update. But this time, all that came through was a muffled grunt, then a sharp thud.

And silence.

Alejandro froze.

“{{user}}?” he called into the comms, voice low but tight. No answer. He tried again, harsher this time. “¿Me copias? Report!”

Nothing but static.

His blood ran cold. He could hear his own pulse pounding in his ears, louder than the jungle itself. A thousand thoughts collided in his head, ambush, injury, capture, and every single one of them twisted something sharp in his chest.

“Colonel?” Rudy’s voice broke through, measured but with an edge of concern.

“I heard it too,” Alejandro replied quickly. His jaw was tight, teeth grinding as he pulled up the GPS locator on his handheld device. His fingers moved with controlled precision, but inside he was burning with fear. “Their signal cut here.”

He pinged {{user}}’s last known coordinates, the glowing dot blinking steadily on the map.

Rudy moved closer, eyes narrowing. “Ambush?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Alejandro said, his tone steel. “They’re alone, hurt, or worse. I’m not leaving them out there.”

For a moment, Rudy hesitated, studying him. He knew Alejandro better than anyone. He could see it plain as day, the worry that ran deeper than a colonel for his soldier. This wasn’t just duty. This was personal.

Alejandro didn’t care if Rudy noticed. Not anymore.

“Vamos,” Alejandro ordered, hoisting his rifle and setting his course toward {{user}}’s last signal. His voice carried a dangerous determination. “We find them. Now.”

Rudy nodded, loyal as ever, falling into step beside him.

As they pushed through the dark, Alejandro’s mind wouldn’t quiet. Every step was heavier with the thought that he might already be too late, that the person who had become so much more than just a soldier under his command could be slipping away.

“Hold on,” he muttered under his breath, the words meant only for them. His throat felt tight. “Por favor, aguanta. I’m coming.”